Stuard takes one-shot lead at wet Zurich Classic
“I think you’ve just got to go out and play it one shot at a time and whatever happens, happens.” Brian Stuard
VONDALE, La.— Brian Stuard completed his second consecutive bogey-free round to take a oneshot lead in the waterlogged Zurich Classic.
Stuard played just six holes Saturday, completing his second round with a 4-under 68 to reach 12 under at TPC Louisiana. Jamie Landmark and Jhonattan Vegas were tied for second. They finished the second round Friday.
The33-year-old Stuard, winless on the PGA Tour, continued his steady play withtwobirdies. Some players were able to begin the third round on Saturday before thunderstorms swept through the area, but the leaders haven’t teed off.
Top-ranked Jason Day was five strokes behind Stuard after shooting a 68 in the second round.
Rain delays have interrupted two out of three days of the tournament. More rain is forecast for Sunday.
PGA Tour tournament director Steve Carman said there is a small possibility that all four rounds of the tournament could be completed Sunday, but with more rain expected, aMonday finish is more likely.
“If we get any stoppage, then we’ll be playing golf on Monday, provided the forecast and the golf course can support that,” Carman said. “So, it’s just really await-andsee position thatwe’re in.”
It’s just the second time in Stuard’s career that he’s had the lead after 36 holes. He said the threat of impending rainwon’t affect how he plays when, or if, he’s able to get on the course Sunday.
“I think you’ve just got to go out and play it one shot at a time and whatever happens, happens,” Stuard said.
LovemarkandVegas didn’t play at all Saturday, getting some rest after a long Friday. Lovemark played 27 holes on Friday to jump into contention with a secondround 66. Vegas completed 30 1⁄ 2 holes and finished the second round with a 69.
Stuard, Lovemark and Vegas have a sizable jump on the rest of the field. Six players, including Charles Howell III, were four strokes back at 8 under.
Daywas among a dozen players five shots behind Stuard. TheAustralian said the stop-and-start nature of the tournament can makes things difficult, but he’s pleased with the way he’s played through two rounds.
“You’ve got to try and stay in the right frameofmindmentally,” Day said. “Try and keep yourself loose. Because there is a lot of sitting around, a lot of eating, and all that other stuff. But you’ve got to try and remind yourself that you need to stay sharp.”
Piller takes 2-stroke lead in LPGA tourney
IRVING, Texas — Gerina Piller took a two-stroke lead Saturday in the LPGA Tour’s Volunteers of America Texas Shootout, putting her in position for a breakthrough victory in her home event.
Winless in 123 career starts, the 31-year-old Piller shot a bogey-free 4-under 67 to reach 14-under 199 at Las Colinas Country Club.
South Korean players held the next four spots on the leaderboard. AmyYang(65) andMiJung Hur (66) were tied for second at12 under, and Jenny Shin (65) and Sei Young Kim (68) were 10 under.
Piller lives in Plano, about 20 miles from Las Colinas. The longhitting U.S. Solheim Cup hero grew up in Roswell, N.M., and played at the University Texas-El Paso.
A number of friends from high school and college joined her family — led by her husband, PGA Tour playerMartin Piller— on the course following her. Martin Piller was back in townafter missing the cut in theZurich Classic in Louisiana.
Piller hit to 4 feet to set up a birdie on the par-4 second, then birdied three straight par 5s — two-putting No. 3 and making a 5-footer on No. 7 and a 10-footer on No. 10. She parred the final eight holes.
Piller has hit 52 of 54 greens in regulation, with the two misses coming in the first round. She tied for third last week in California in the Swinging Skirts for her third straight top-six finish.
Bjerregaard shoots 7-under 65 in China
BEIJING — Denmark’s Lucas Bjerregaard shot a 7-under 65 in the China Open for a share of the third-round lead with Chile’s Felipe Aguilar.
Bjerregaard eagled the par-4 third hole and had five birdies. Aguilar had a 67 to match Bjerregaard at 16-under 200 at Topwin Golf and Country Club
Belgium’s Nicolas Colsaerts (65) was two stroke back along with local favorite Li Haotong (66), England’s Tyrrell Hatton (67) and Sweden’s AlexNoren (68).